1. On April 19, 1995 a truck exploded in front of the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were co-conspirators in the crime, and were both arrested within a few days. Eight hundred people were injured and one hundred sixy-eight were killed.
2. On September 11, 2001, Islamic terrorist hijacked 4 planes and drove two of them into the Twin Towers in New York City, New York, killing everybody on the planes and killing many others working in the towers. A plane was also driven into the Pentagon, and the fourth plane was on its way to the White House. This terrorist attack launched the War on Terror, also called the War in Iraq.
3. Basically, the motive behind the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were religion. Al Queda states that it is the duty of Muslims to "kill Americans anywhere." Osama Bin Laden also stated that we are "the worst country the world has ever seen," and that we have twisted priorities. Initially, the attacks were denied, but as Bin Laden's hatred upon the US escalated, he approved the plan, and they set a date.
4. Bill Clinton paid off the national debt. During his presidency, we didn't owe anybody anything, and the economy was at an all time high. He also increased the minimum wage, which helped the lower class live a better life. Clinton also made getting a college level education easier. Since 1993, college students have saved $8.7 billion.
5. George W. Bush was the first president in the history of the United States that entered office with a criminal record. He also attacked and took over two middle eastern countries in eight years. On a positive note, he launched the "No Child Left Behind Act" which states that every child will get an equally good education, despite their economic situation.
6. In the 2000 Presidential election, George W. Bush defeated Al Gore. This election was very unique because by the votes of the people, Al Gore actually won. George W. Bush had more votes from the Electoral College, so he became President.
7. Mad Cow Disease is a fatal brain disease that attacks cattle and other animals. It causes cattle to lose the ability to do simple things such as walk, or eat on its own. It is very rare for a human to get this disease, as only 200 cases have been diagnosed with some form of Mad Cow worldwide. It takes years, if not decades, for the symptoms of Mad Cow to be visible, and once the disease is out of its incubation period, the brain can deteriorate within a year.
8. British citizens were scared of the Mad Cow outbreak in the 90's because before people were aware that the cattle were infected, meat from the herds had been released as hamburgers, sausages, and other beef products, and sent out worldwide. Any meat eater could be infected, and nobody knew if they had eaten infected meat.
9. In 2004 a tsunami struck the coast of Indonesia. It killed more than 225,000 people, and injured many many more. There were many tourists on the coast. The entire area was devastated by the series of huge waves, and it took years to recuperate.
10. The Galileo Spacecraft was a very revolutionary spacecraft. It was the first spacecraft to see an asteroid moon, it conducted the first asteroid flyby, was the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter, and planted the first probe into Jupiter. It was in service for 14 years.
11. The first film generated fully by a computer was Toy Story in 1995. I did see it, and it was one of my favorite movies when I was a little kid.
12. The iPod is a very revolutionary device. Since its release in 2001, more than 150 million iPods have been sold worldwide. In 7 years, people have gone from carrying around a boombox everywhere they go, to a small device that lays in their pockets. By releasing the iPod, Apple Computer Company also launched us into the digital music era.
13. On April 24, 1995, Microsoft released Windows95. Windows95 did not have Internet Explorer on its first release, unless you bought the Plus! pack, which was an upgrade. It did not have USB support. Windows95 made CD-Rom's more acceptable in popular culture, and made 16-bit processors a thing of the past.
14. Brett Favre retired from the Green Bay Packers in 2008. He decided shortly after he retired, and the Packers had appointed Aaron Rodgers their starting quarterback, that he wanted to play again. Mike McCarthy denied his request, unless he was second string. Brett wouldn't accept that, and now plays for the New York Jets.
15. In January of 1997, the Packers beat the New England Patriots in Superbowl 31. The final score was 35 (Packers) to 21 (Patriots.)
In Your Lifetime Final Exam
1. On April 19, 1995 a truck exploded in front of the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were co-conspirators in the crime, and were both arrested within a few days. Eight hundred people were injured and one hundred sixy-eight were killed.
2. On September 11, 2001, Islamic terrorist hijacked 4 planes and drove two of them into the Twin Towers in New York City, New York, killing everybody on the planes and killing many others working in the towers. A plane was also driven into the Pentagon, and the fourth plane was on its way to the White House. This terrorist attack launched the War on Terror, also called the War in Iraq.
3. Basically, the motive behind the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were religion. Al Queda states that it is the duty of Muslims to "kill Americans anywhere." Osama Bin Laden also stated that we are "the worst country the world has ever seen," and that we have twisted priorities. Initially, the attacks were denied, but as Bin Laden's hatred upon the US escalated, he approved the plan, and they set a date.
4. Bill Clinton paid off the national debt. During his presidency, we didn't owe anybody anything, and the economy was at an all time high. He also increased the minimum wage, which helped the lower class live a better life. Clinton also made getting a college level education easier. Since 1993, college students have saved $8.7 billion.
5. George W. Bush was the first president in the history of the United States that entered office with a criminal record. He also attacked and took over two middle eastern countries in eight years. On a positive note, he launched the "No Child Left Behind Act" which states that every child will get an equally good education, despite their economic situation.
6. In the 2000 Presidential election, George W. Bush defeated Al Gore. This election was very unique because by the votes of the people, Al Gore actually won. George W. Bush had more votes from the Electoral College, so he became President.
7. Mad Cow Disease is a fatal brain disease that attacks cattle and other animals. It causes cattle to lose the ability to do simple things such as walk, or eat on its own. It is very rare for a human to get this disease, as only 200 cases have been diagnosed with some form of Mad Cow worldwide. It takes years, if not decades, for the symptoms of Mad Cow to be visible, and once the disease is out of its incubation period, the brain can deteriorate within a year.
8. British citizens were scared of the Mad Cow outbreak in the 90's because before people were aware that the cattle were infected, meat from the herds had been released as hamburgers, sausages, and other beef products, and sent out worldwide. Any meat eater could be infected, and nobody knew if they had eaten infected meat.
9. In 2004 a tsunami struck the coast of Indonesia. It killed more than 225,000 people, and injured many many more. There were many tourists on the coast. The entire area was devastated by the series of huge waves, and it took years to recuperate.
10. The Galileo Spacecraft was a very revolutionary spacecraft. It was the first spacecraft to see an asteroid moon, it conducted the first asteroid flyby, was the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter, and planted the first probe into Jupiter. It was in service for 14 years.
11. The first film generated fully by a computer was Toy Story in 1995. I did see it, and it was one of my favorite movies when I was a little kid.
12. The iPod is a very revolutionary device. Since its release in 2001, more than 150 million iPods have been sold worldwide. In 7 years, people have gone from carrying around a boombox everywhere they go, to a small device that lays in their pockets. By releasing the iPod, Apple Computer Company also launched us into the digital music era.
13. On April 24, 1995, Microsoft released Windows95. Windows95 did not have Internet Explorer on its first release, unless you bought the Plus! pack, which was an upgrade. It did not have USB support. Windows95 made CD-Rom's more acceptable in popular culture, and made 16-bit processors a thing of the past.
14. Brett Favre retired from the Green Bay Packers in 2008. He decided shortly after he retired, and the Packers had appointed Aaron Rodgers their starting quarterback, that he wanted to play again. Mike McCarthy denied his request, unless he was second string. Brett wouldn't accept that, and now plays for the New York Jets.
15. In January of 1997, the Packers beat the New England Patriots in Superbowl 31. The final score was 35 (Packers) to 21 (Patriots.)